Iqaluit RCMP are asking the public to provide tips on the identity of a man who’s accused of pointing a rifle in the city’s downtown on Saturday afternoon.
Wikimedia Commons photo
The police received a complaint at approximately 3:38 p.m. that day about a lone male walking past DJ’s store, at the intersection of Kuugalaaq Street and Queen Elizabeth Way. The individual had a long-barreled rifle and he was allegedly pointing it down the hill.
The suspect was described as wearing dark pants and a camouflage jacket.
Responding police officers noticed a male wearing camouflage clothing with a rifle sling over his shoulder walking in the 200-block area. Although the officers conducted a high-risk arrest and took the man into custody without incident, it was determined that although was not the suspect police are seeking.
The man was released with no charges and police have been in contact with the family.
The suspect still hasn’t been found. The Mounties are still investigating the matter and are asking for anyone who may have witnessed the incident or have information to contact police at 867-979-1111 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
So there were at least 2 men walking around downtown wearing camo and carrying rifles.
Lovely.
Are you new to the north? There’s nothing wrong with carrying a rifle if you’re not threatening anyone, you see it often enough for it to be no big deal. About the camo, if you’re not a fan you can always call the (fashion) police!
Been here for a decade, but like many behaviours that have been normalized in the North, there’s a lot wrong with walking around with a rifle. Nunavut has a 60% smoking rate, a 65% school attendance rate and a 20% unemployment rate despite an abundance of available work at all skill levels. Being in the “North” doesn’t make any of that normal.
Oh I see, you just want to complain about things and not talk about the different context of life up here. It’s ok if you’re inherently afraid of guns, but most of us aren’t. I had to use mine just yesterday and I was glad I was carrying it on my walk. It’s a useful tool for living, that’s all. If you want to pretend it’s a societal failure to be prepared for the conditions up here or live differently than in a southern city on par with school drop out rates or smoking rates, enjoy the discussion you’re having with yourself.
I agree those two are issues to deal with, but I don’t agree that merely seeing someone with a gun is some big failure in the same sense as those problems. Proper storage of rifles at home is an issue, walking from point A to B with one in the arctic, is not. As someone who moved to the territory and presumably only lives in Iqaluit, I guess you just can’t understand what rifles mean to the majority of people who live in Inuit Nunangat, and why it’s not automatically scary to see. It’s barely a step above seeing someone carry a fishing rod, imo… I live in a bigger community than most(smaller than IQ) , and we still get bears or wolves in town itself occasionally. Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it….
No one needs a gun to walk to the store in Iqaluit.
The rest of your comment defending them for hunting and protection in the hamlets is therefore irrelevant.